Hey, fellow new grads! If you are planning to go into emergency nursing, be sure to study well before your interview because there is plenty of critical care information to remember. Here are my tips based on my experiences interviewing with different hospitals.
Have clinical examples ready
This applies to non-emergency nursing new grad interviews too, but be sure to have at least 3-5 examples from clinical to back up your answers for situational questions. Think of a time when you showed leadership, encountered a conflict with a co-worker, patient, or family member, and a time you made a mistake. The formula to answer any situational question is to restate the question, give a direct answer, then back it up with a clinical example.
Sample: Describe a time when you worked well in an interdisciplinary team.
“I worked well in an interdisciplinary team during my critical care rotation (restate the question and answer). I noticed that my patient was not feeling well and got help from one of the nurses. The patient ended up coding and I started doing compressions. I collaborated with the nurses, physician, and respiratory therapist to make sure I was doing effective compressions and communicated with the team to ensure the best outcome for our patient by ensuring everyone was clear when the shock was ready to be given (clinical example).”
Study ACLS/PALS Algorithms
You will be using these algorithms when you work as an ER nurse, so make sure you have a good grasp of this information. I use ICU Advantage’s ACLS Review videos, Nurse Cheung’s ACLS review video, and the PALS review video. As a new grad, it is hard to apply the information to real situations, so in due time and experience, it will start to come to you naturally. One of the most important things to review would be the mega codes.
Know Sepsis, DKA, STEMI/NSTEMI, and Stroke Protocols
This may depend on the hospital you are interviewing with, but you should know how to deal with these different conditions. Emergency Chaos on YouTube is a fantastic resource to review all these topics.
Takeaways
Overall, the takeaway is to get a general grasp on the big topics and know what steps to take next. If you do not know what to do, be honest and tell the interviewer that you do not know the answer. This is much better than giving a random answer.
Have fun in your interviews, if you do not do well at one interview, it is not the end of the world. There will be more opportunities until you find the hospitals that best match your needs.
Here’s one of my blog posts that talk about how to deal with bad nursing preceptors! Thank you for reading, and check out my other blog posts for more information! Follow along with me on my new grad nursing journey as an ER nurse by following my Pinterest page!